Wall-mounted dispenser housings and other dispenser housings are well known in the art. Typically a cover portion of the housing interacts with a base portion of the housing to define an internal space where product may be retained for dispensing. In wall-mounted dispensers, a back plate is typically mounted to a wall, and a cover interacts with the back plate to define an internal volume that receives a refill unit holding a desired product. For example, wall-mounted soap dispensers typically include a dispenser housing structure, that receives a refill unit made up of a soap container and an associated soap pump that can be actuated to dispense soap from the container.
The dispenser housings are typically more permanent structures, while the refill units are disposable. That is, once the product retained within the refill unit is depleted, the empty refill unit is removed and replaced with a full one. Thus, during the life of a dispenser housing, it may be opened and closed multiple times to remove empty refill units and replace them with full refill units.
Because dispenser housings are often available for use by the general public, it is necessary to design the dispenser housings in such a way that unauthorized individuals are unable to access the contents (for example, refill units) therein. If a dispenser housing is easy to open, unauthorized individuals may open the dispenser housing and remove the product held therein. The owner of the dispenser will thereafter have to replace the stolen product, much to his detriment. Thus, many prior art dispenser housings are provided with locking mechanisms.
Many of the locking mechanisms employed are very common and straightforward. For example, some dispensers are simply locked by a lock-and-key structure much like the turn key structures used to lock a door or chest. An example can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,195. Other locking mechanisms involve keys that must be inserted into apertures specifically adapted for their receipt, with the key contacting mechanisms within the dispenser housing to release the cover from the base. An example can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,916. Notably, the key taught in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,916 patent might be either carried by service personnel or, alternatively, permanently mounted in the dispenser housing.
In embodiments where the key must be carried by service personnel, there is an obvious problem when the service personnel have lost the key. When the key is lost, it can be very difficult or even impossible to open the dispenser housing without damaging components. In embodiments where the key is mounted to the dispenser housing, the housing is again susceptible to being accessed by unauthorized users, once those unauthorized users discovery how the key can be accessed and manipulated. Nevertheless, some entities that provide dispensers for use by the general public prefer to have the key permanently mounted as opposed to having service personnel carry the keys. For example, where theft of the dispenser contents is a concern, it may be desirable to have the service personnel carry keys, while, in areas where theft is not a concern, it may be advisable to have the key permanently mounted or to otherwise provide a dispenser that can be opened without having to be unlocked from a locked state by use of a key.
Though different entities purchasing dispensers may prefer different dispensers (i.e., some may prefer mounted keys and some may prefer carried keys), for purposes of efficient production, it is desirable to provide a single dispenser that is selectively configured to have a mounted key or a carried key in accordance with the desire of the dispenser owner. Thus, the dispenser housing arts would benefit from a dispenser housing that can be operated in different modes—one in which the dispenser can be locked closed, to be opened only by use of a key, and one in which the dispenser can be opened and closed, at will, without the need to use a key.